After finishing the dredging work, Fan Lei, an instructor of an industrial and chemical brigade of the 83rd Army, rushed back to Luoyang from the flood fighting line to visit his wife who was waiting for labor
"Wife and children have been waiting for me to return safely"
When he learned that his wife was admitted to the hospital to give birth, Fan Lei was on his way to disaster relief.
At noon on July 25, the leader urged him to go home quickly on the phone.
Fan Lei was anxious and worried, but decided to wait until the next morning and lead the convoy back to Luoyang before going to the hospital to take care of his wife.
The leader was anxious, "You must go back to me now!"
Fan Lei is the instructor of an industrial and chemical brigade of the 83rd Army.
Since receiving the flood-fighting task on July 21, he successively rescued disasters in the Guojiazui Reservoir of Zhengzhou City, Mihe Town and Xiaoguan Town of Gongyi City.
On the evening of the 25th, near 10 o'clock, he hurried back to a hospital in Luoyang after completing the task, and his wife Han Xiaoxiao cried in his arms.
The next morning, Fan Lei, who was too late to change his clothes, carried his son who had just arrived in this world with all the mud.
This is the first time the father and son have met. Fan Lei's rough hand gently stroked the child's pure and soft face.
"Wife and children have been waiting for me to return safely from the front line of the flood, and they have really waited for me." Fan Lei said with a smile.
The silt can reach the knees, and the feet can't be pulled out accidentally
Fan Lei didn't expect the child to come in such an "urgency".
According to previous inspections, the wife's expected date of delivery is August 4.
On July 21, Fan Lei’s unit received a task. Due to heavy rain in Henan, they had to rush to the front line of Zhengzhou to participate in flood relief.
Although Han Xiaoxiao is worried, he understands his work.
She told Fan Lei to pay attention to safety and complete the task.
Fan Lei thought, maybe he will be able to catch up with the birth of the child when the task is completed in early August.
The team first came to Guojiazui, Zhengzhou City to clean up the silt from the reservoir.
Two days later, on July 23, they moved to Mihe Town and Xiaoguan Town in Gongyi City.
Gongyi was seriously affected. The 122 officers and soldiers of the battalion were divided into five or six points. Fan Lei led 20 people in charge of one of the points-Mihe Health Center.
"The southern side of Mihe Health Center is the Baoshui River. The river is nearly 100 meters wide, but there are no protective facilities around it. It is very close to the hospital. After the flood broke out, the hospital was submerged by silt." Fan Lei told the Beijing News reporter. In severe cases, the silt reached more than 2 meters high, and all rooms on the first floor of the hospital were submerged in the silt.
Fan Lei's mission is to help clean up the silt.
"When we went, the silt had already gone down, and there was still about 1 meter." Fan Lei said that when people walked into the corridor of the hospital, the silt could reach above the knees, and it was difficult to walk. If the combat boots were not fastened, the feet would be covered. It sticks inside and can't be pulled out.
Difficulties are indispensable.
Due to the shortage of tools, each officer and soldier only had a flat spade. The hospital contacted several units of small excavators and bulldozers. People and machines cooperate with each other. However, there are always many inconveniences in mechanical work indoors, and it is mainly manual.
In addition, there are many types of medical facilities in the hospital, and some officers and soldiers have been stabbed and scratched by nails and glass shards.
Living conditions are also very difficult.
The officers and soldiers lived in a factory abandoned for many years in Xiaoguan Town, laying the floor in the corridor.
In the hot weather, there is no water and electricity here, and there are still a lot of mosquitoes.
After a busy day, the officers and soldiers were covered in mud, and it was difficult to take a relaxing bath.
Everyone contact the local wells, pull water through a water tanker, and simply rinse them.
The weather was hot and humid, the washed clothes were not yet dry, and the clothes on their bodies were soaked, so everyone went to work in wet clothes.
After the dredging, his comrades sent him home overnight
The front-line work is being completed in an orderly manner.
Busy during the day and poor signal, Fan Lei called or sent a message to Han Xiaoxiao during the night to rest.
On the morning of July 25, most of the silt in the hospital was cleared.
Before 1 pm, Fan Lei was rushing to Mihe Health Center with officers and soldiers from the station to prepare for the final clean-up work.
At this time, he received a call from the leader, "Let me seize the time to go back. My family wants to give birth."
In fact, at around 9 o'clock that morning, Han Xiaoxiao was admitted to the hospital because of abdominal pain.
She called Fan Lei, but Fan Lei didn't receive it because of the poor signal.
She left a message saying, "You pay attention to your safety outside, don't worry about me, I am very strong."
Fan Lei is a bit confused, there are still more than 10 days before the due date.
He remembered that when Han Xiaoxiao had a pregnancy check before, he found that the child had an umbilical cord around his neck for three weeks. Fear and nervousness surged.
After fighting for several days without shouting tired, his tears flowed down.
But he decided to go home after completing the task.
After the final dredging work is over, it is around 7 o'clock in the evening.
The leader arranged a car for him and asked a few comrades to take him home.
After getting on the road, Fan Lei didn't contact Han Xiaoxiao, "I want to surprise her."
Along the way, Fan Lei was anxious.
They used almost 4 hours for the original journey of more than an hour.
"When we were still a kilometer or two away from the highway, we suddenly found that the road ahead was interrupted by the river, and we tried to find the route again, which delayed our time." At about 10 o'clock that evening, Fan Lei finally rushed to the hospital.
Pushing open the door of the ward, Han Xiaoxiao turned her head and was stunned for a moment.
After being surprised, there was an uncontrollable cry. "There have been so many grievances in my heart, and I suddenly vented it." Fan Lei held her in his arms and carefully wiped away her tears with a tissue.
He is very guilty.
Although the family members are with the army at the garrison, the two can only see each other once every two weeks.
His wife was pregnant in October, and he didn't take care of her, and he always felt that she owed her a lot.
"Fortunately I did not miss the time when the child was born"
Five hours after Fan Lei arrived at the hospital, at 4 am on July 26, Han Xiaoxiao entered the delivery room.
He is afraid that the umbilical cord that wraps around the child's neck will cause accidents.
After six tense hours, at 10:45 in the morning, the fat boy was pushed out. About half an hour later, Han Xiaoxiao also came out safely.
Mother and son were safe, and his heart finally let go.
"This kid is also more cooperative." Fan Lei joked.
During the time he came to the hospital, he had no time and no intention to change his clothes.
When picking up the soft, pure baby, he was wearing the mud-stained camouflage uniform.
"I am very excited to see the birth of a small life, and it is not easy to think of my mother, and I feel very guilty for him, mother and son."
Han Xiaoxiao named the little guy "Wait".
"Wife and children have been waiting for me to return safely from the front line of the flood, and they have really waited for me." Fan Lei said with a smile.
For the past two days, Fan Lei has been taking care of the mother and son in the hospital.
Putting down the hard shovel pick, the soft side of his heart spread out, from the arm to the fingertips, he was gentle and careful.
Fan Lei walked with Han Xiaoxiao, helping her change clothes, washing, and changing diapers for her children.
He is a novice in this aspect, and when he starts these trivial things, he only feels that "tired is very tired, but very happy."
This is not the same as when he was on the front line of disaster relief, but it was somewhat similar.
"It's also very tired, and sleep is not guaranteed, but I can get the affirmation of the people, and I am still very content."
The comrades-in-arms and leaders are busy sending blessings.
He was very grateful to the people who urged him to come back that day, "I wanted to finish the task and come back the next day. If I came the next day, it would probably be noon or afternoon here, and I might have missed the birth of the child. Time." Fan Lei felt very lucky.
Next, he is going to take care of his wife for a few more days.
"But if the frontline needs it, I want to apply and go back to complete the task."
Beijing News reporter Peng Chong Correspondent Ma Liang Yin Hao Jia Fangwen Intern He Yu